travailler vs laborer
French word comparison
Listen to travailler
Listen to laborer
| travailler | laborer |
|---|---|
/tra-va-YAY/ verb | /lah-bo-ray/ verb |
| to work; to do a job or perform work | to work, especially with effort or through physical labor |
How they differ
“Laborer” is not a direct everyday substitute for “travailler” in all senses; it emphasizes hard, physical, or strenuous work more strongly. It can also sound old-fashioned or stylistic, so it is less natural for ordinary “job” contexts.
When to use each
When to use travailler: Use “travailler” for general work, whether mental, physical, professional, or school-related.
When to use laborer: Use “laborer” when you want to stress heavy effort, manual work, or a more literary tone.
Side-by-side examples
- Elle travaille à la campagne pendant l’été.
(She works in the countryside during the summer.) - Il a longtemps laboré dans les champs.
(He worked in the fields for a long time.)
Register & nuance: “Laborer” is formal, literary, and less common in everyday modern French than “travailler.”